THE SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST

Creating Living Room for Everyone in SWSW Michigan

  • SWSW is the Southwest corner of Southwest Michigan, a diverse and wonderful place to live, but facing housing market challenges.
  • CLT is Community Land Trust, a nonprofit, community-based and community-managed organization focused on the development of affordable workforce homes designed to remain forever affordable.
  • SWSWCLT is the Southwest Southwest Michigan Community Land Trust. We are focused on solving for the critical shortage of affordable workforce housing in the Southwest corner of Southwest Michigan.

The Community Land Trust model assists households in bridging the financial gap between the mortgage they can afford and the cost of purchasing a home in their community. In exchange, homeowners agree to pay it forward through a resale formula that keeps the home affordable for future buyers. It’s a model proven successful nationwide through several decades and thousands of homes and communities.

SWSWCLT is creating buzz all across the Southwest corner of Southwest Michigan.

Every day we identify projects and partners in a broad and diverse landscape ranging from urban centers to lakeside hamlets and rural towns and farmlands. Our immediate objective, through generous support from the Pokagon Fund, is to focus on the identification of our first home CLT community project across New Buffalo, Three Oaks, Union Pier, Lakeside, Harbert, Sawyer & Galien, Michigan.

LAKEFRONT LIMITATIONS

Recreation and tourism dominate the beaches and towns along the lake, as do second homes and short-term rentals. This combination has led to the hyperinflation of home prices, making it nearly impossible for those in the workforce who help our communities thrive to live where they work. Workforce-level incomes cannot support home ownership in many lakefront municipalities.

SWSWCLT aims to close that gap and make sure workers and their families can live in the communities where they are essential.

URBAN OPPORTUNITIES

The urban centers of our region have rich rust belt histories, and the legacy challenges that go with it. Living structures that are aging and often in need of significant repairs dominate the housing inventory of these communities. Nonetheless the lure of the region comes with risks of displacement and gentrification.

SWSWCLT can help families stay in their neighborhoods, maintain affordability, and build generational wealth through permanently affordable home ownership.

SMALL TOWN & RURAL REALITIES

Many rural residents in our region are aging in place, faced with the challenge of caring for a large home and acreages that exceed physical and financial limitations. Small towns often face challenges of aging housing stock, limited infrastructure, and falling home values. While some may be able to sell their home, they would not be able to afford a new home in the same community.

SWSWCLT is working to build homes on smaller footprints, repair and maintain existing homes, and make affordable living room for both new and old residents.

The CLT model is proven nationally with hundreds of nonprofit CLTs in operation managing tens of thousands of affordable homes. SWSWCLT homes will remain forever affordable.

HOW A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST WORKS

Providing & Preserving Long-Term Housing Affordability

For more than 60 years, Community Land Trusts across the country have worked to provide and preserve long-term housing affordability using a home and land ownership model like the SWSWCLT’s. The premise of that model is that when SWSWCLT homeowners purchase their homes, they agree to help keep the home affordable for the next buyer by limiting their future resale price. They will still make back their full investment plus a reasonable shared equity gain if the market allows, they just won’t “flip” the home for a gigantic profit. This ensures that the opportunity to buy a home at an affordable price is passed on to future generations.

The benefits of a CLT go far beyond those people who have the opportunity to purchase the affordable homes SWSWCLT develops. The ripple effect will be seen in better employee retention rates for local employers, a stronger, more stable year-round economy, more successful local businesses, thriving schools, and an enhanced quality of life across all of our communities. Even non-CLT neighbors benefit, as studies have shown that CLT homes stabilize and increase nearby property values.

The SWSWCLT board is comprised of experienced housing development professionals, and will also include homeowners from the CLT homes, giving them ownership and agency over their communities.

See a CLT initiative in action with our partner organization.

SWSWCLT PROJECTS

We are expanding our pipeline of potential Community Land Trust projects

SWSWCLT is working to expand our pipeline of potential Community Land Trust projects in the Southwest corner of Southwest Michigan. Municipalities with surplus parcels or land, employers seeking solutions for employee housing and retention, individuals seeking the tax benefits and personal gratification of donating land or financial resources are all encouraged to reach out. It doesn’t matter if it is a single parcel in town or several acres. Though there is a strong preference for land that is already served by utilities, water and sewer.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a few dollars or enough to buy a kitchen full or appliances or a whole home, every donation is critical to our mission. There are already conversations taking place, but SWSWCLT is ready for action and eager to build a robust pipeline of potential projects.

CLT DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS SWSW MICHIGAN

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

You Have Questions, We Have Answers

SWSWCLT is evaluating sites and potential projects, and upon the announcement of our first home(s) our FAQ will be updated to include more detailed answers to those anticipated questions. Presently we can answer these general questions:

SWSWCLT welcomes donations to support our mission, and we welcome discussions of collaboration and partnership with local organizations and individuals.

SWSWCLT homes will never become short-term-rentals. SWSWCLT homes will be sold with restrictions and requirements making them exclusive to full-time community members.

It is true that SWSWCLT homes will be available well below their potential market value. SWSWCLT will sell the homes, but not the land they are on. The land remains in ownership of the SWSWCLT and the buyer signs a ground lease. SWSWCLT home buyers will agree to strict covenants on ownership, use, and resale that assure affordability for generations to come.

SWSWCLT is working to identify where our first home(s) will be built and offered for sale. Follow us on this website, LinkedIn, Facebook and in the local news to stay abreast of new developments.

SWSWCLT will announce home buying opportunities and an application process when new home(s) are announced. If you’d like to know more reach out to us at swswclt@gmail.com

SWSWCLT is constantly evaluating various home designs, building methods, and builders. While our preference will be toward the utilization of local resources wherever possible, our focus will be on providing quality affordable homes. If you are a local builder or have ideas reach out to us at swswclt@gmail.com

SWSWCLT will begin with financial requirements and qualifications to assure that buyers are able to support the cost of homeownership. Pre-and post-purchase guidance and counseling will be available to buyers. SWSWCLT will assess every applicant fairly, in compliance with federal Fair Housing guidelines.

CLT homeownership is much like the traditional homeownership experience. The buyer acquires and pays a mortgage, and pays for utilities such as gas, water, electric, cable, garbage pickup, and any other desired services. The homeowner also pays the property tax bills for the home.
The significant difference between a traditional home and a CLT home is that the nonprofit maintains ownership of the land. The land and home each get separate tax bills and the land tax may be passed along to the homeowner directly or through a nominal ground lease payment.

If you have additional questions please submit them to us at swswsclt@gmail.com and we’ll post them here for the benefit of others.

DONATIONS

Help Us Reach Our Goals

The SWSWCLT is a nonprofit, community-based and community-managed organization focused on the development of affordable workforce homes designed to remain forever affordable. SWSWCLT is a part of the SWSW Michigan community of nonprofit initiatives focused on improving the quality of life in our Southwest Southwest Michigan communities through economic and community development, workforce development, small business support, affordable housing initiatives, and other critical programs.


OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS: